In his "Declaration to the Peasants," Chairman Mao emphasized: "The peasant question is the central issue of the Chinese revolution, and the central issue of the peasant question is the land question. It can be said that the analysis of China's national conditions in the era of small-scale farmers could not be more thorough.

"Thirty acres of land, one cow, wife and children hot kang" has always been the ideal life that Chinese farmers dream of. As the most important means of production, land has always been the lifeblood of peasants, and it is also the most troublesome problem for rulers in previous dynasties.

If it is properly handled, the peasants will live and work in peace and contentment, and the government's financial revenue will be guaranteed; If it is not handled properly, it will lead to the people's misery, social order, and even the rise of the problem.

In the 4th century BCE, Mencius during the Warring States period apparently recognized the importance of the land issue. Therefore, he advocated that the peasants should be given a few acres of land, planted with mulberry hemp and crops, and that the peasants' working hours should be guaranteed.

Let the farmers have food and clothing, and they can eat a few bites of meat when they are old (in fact, when people are old, their teeth are lost, how can they eat). This kind of rule is benevolent government, such a monarch is a Ming monarch, and such a society is a well-off society.

Li Shimin turned almost all of Mencius's political ideals into reality, and he faithfully implemented the Confucian ideas of the future society. Old Mr. Mencius has the knowledge that he can rest in peace! If he had the opportunity to come to the Tang Dynasty to see, he would definitely be excited and not want to go back. Li Shimin's basic approach is to comprehensively and thoroughly implement the system of equalizing land and the corresponding regulation of rents.

Some of the ancient Chinese systems were so wonderful that people were amazed, and the Juntian system was one of the most classic systems. The Juntian system was a wonderful land system in ancient China and even in the history of the world. Once the war led to a large decrease in population and a large amount of land waste. The land will then pass into the hands of the government.

The government can then allocate the ownerless wasteland in its hands to the peasants for cultivation, so that the peasants can keep their own land when they have it. It is conducive to the stability of social order; On the other hand, the government's taxes have also increased. This is the real trick of killing multiple birds with one stone.

This system was created in the Northern Wei Dynasty under the rule of the Xianbei people. Later, it was implemented in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty, the Northern Qi Dynasty, the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty, and the early Tang Dynasty. Among them, the Tang Dynasty has been implemented for the longest time, the greatest influence, and the most obvious effect. The government grants each adult man several tens of acres of land according to the amount of land in his possession, which is called "counting dictation fields".

Li Shimin was well aware of the benefits of the Juntian system, so he immediately vigorously promoted this system that benefited the country and the people after taking the throne. As the saying goes, "if you don't abolish it, you can't stand it", when a dynasty is just established, in addition to the mess in front of it, there are actually many opportunities. The powerful and powerful should be damned, and they should run. There will be much less resistance to reform. Therefore, the Tang Dynasty stipulated:

Standard 1: Grant land to the people

Adult men over the age of 18 (Ding males) are each granted 100 acres of land. Of these, 80 acres are "koufen fields" (fields divided by the number of people), which are returned to the government after old age and incapacity to work or after death. The 20 acres are "Yongye Fields" (fields that can be inherited as private property forever) and can be passed on to children and grandchildren. Elderly men over 60 years old, those with serious diseases, and the disabled will only be granted 40 acres of "mouth fields". The widow's wife and concubine were granted 30 acres of "Koufen Field", and if these people were the heads of households, they were granted another 20 acres of "Yongye Field". All land granting standards should be halved in places where the land is narrow and densely populated.

Criterion 2: Grant land to nobles and bureaucrats

Nobles with titles (from princes to dukes, marquises, uncles, sons, males, etc.). You can apply for "Yongye Field" according to the title, which is reduced from 10,000 acres to 500 acres. The "Yongye Field" granted by officials from the first to the ninth grade was reduced from 6,000 mu to 200 mu.

But it's worth noting:

First, the Juntian system of the Tang Dynasty was based on male units. Since the Northern Wei Dynasty, land and taxation have been granted and taxed on a household (monogamy) basis.

Monks and Taoists divide 30 acres of fields, and Taoist aunts and nuns grant 20 acres of fields. These lands became private land for the monastery. This reflects the Tang government's economic emphasis and support for monasteries and Taoist temples.

In the Tang Dynasty, women, slaves, and maids were not granted land, reflecting the decline of women's status.

In areas where the land is vast and sparsely populated, those engaged in industry and commerce may be granted land at half the standard of ordinary peasants. In places where the land is narrow and densely populated, no land will be granted. This reflected the humble status of the merchants and the government's policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business.

Land under the land equalization system is generally not allowed to be bought and sold arbitrarily. But. The "Yongye Field" of the aristocracy and bureaucracy was private property and could be bought and sold freely. Ordinary people who cannot afford to be buried, exiled for crimes, and people who have moved legally. before you can sell the land. Buying and selling is not allowed unless you are moving to a sparsely populated area.

Sixth, before the Tang Dynasty, ploughing cattle were also given land, and a cow was given 60 acres of land. The ox is a symbol of wealth, but also a symbol of productivity, that is, the ancient tractor. The Tang Dynasty canceled this item, reflecting the tension between people and land in the Tang Dynasty, and there was no longer so much idle land to distribute to the cattle.

The tax system that complements the uniform land system is the regulation of rents. All those who received the government's land were required to pay a certain amount of taxes and serve as conscripts. Every adult man has to pay a rent to the state every year, according to the amount of land, millet (millet) 2 stone (dàn, 240 catties), which is called "rent"; Pay household tax according to the number of households, 2 zhang of silk (about 6.7 meters), 2 taels of cotton or 2.5 zhang of cloth (about 8.3 meters), 3 catties of hemp, called "tune". Why do Chinese talk about "four generations in the same hall" and "five generations in the same hall"? In addition to the joy of family, a very important reason is that you can only pay one household tax to the state without separating the family! For a long time, China's tax system focused on land rent, poll tax and household tax. The household tax is levied on a household-by-household basis, and the same is a group of 10 people, and if it is a large family, it only needs to pay one household tax. And if it is divided into three or four households, you will have to pay three or four household taxes! Therefore, from the perspective of reducing expenses, a large family will save some money. Splitting up is neither cost-effective nor difficult, and it is even harder to move. In fact, in this way, the ruler's goal of strengthening his control over the people has been achieved. This is also the wisdom and survival of Chinese farmers! In addition, they have to serve 20 days of forced labor, and if they are unwilling to go, they can pay 6 zhang (20 meters) of silk or 7.5 zhang (25 meters) of cloth to the government in lieu of service, which is called "Yong". This is actually a kind of "substitute tax" in lieu of forced labor. If Ding Hu is willing to serve for 15 days in addition to the 20 days of conscription. The government dismissed his "tune". If you are willing to work for another 30 days, then the "rent" and "transfer" are exempted. In other words, if an adult man in a family is willing to serve 65 days of government labor in a year. Then their family will not have to pay anything to the government for a year! The ground can be planted white for a year! You can spend 300 days a year in your own home with your family, farming, or doing something else. This is simply unimaginable wonderful life in ancient China! Especially compared with the tyrannical Qin Dynasty and Sui Dynasty, people are simply happy to death. That is, the policy of using silk or cloth instead of conscription is already a great step forward in history. Because the agricultural time is the most important, and the labor force is even more important, if the peasants pay this kind of substitute tax, they can concentrate on working in the fields. In this way, the land and time for agriculture are secured. Li Shimin was really a good student of Mencius.

In general, the implementation of this system. It has played a good role and has very obvious social and economic benefits, especially in the first few decades. The Juntian system is a miraculous system, and its implementation alleviates the form of land annexation. The interests of the aristocratic bureaucracy and landlords were guaranteed, but they were restricted from occupying too much land. When granting land, it was given to the poor first and then to the rich, and the people were also restricted from selling their share of land, so that the peasants could also have a certain amount of livelihood security. It affirmed the ownership and possession of land, and enabled the peasants to get rid of the control of the powerful clans and become the people of the state. The number of yeoman farmers under the control of the government has greatly increased, ensuring that the state has received tax revenues. It has strengthened the government's control over the people. It has relatively lightened the peasants' burdens, which is conducive to alleviating the peasants' resistance and integrating labor with the land. It reduces land disputes and is conducive to the reclamation of ownerless wasteland. It has played a positive role in the restoration and development of agricultural production. Eventually, the rule of Li Shimin and the entire early Tang Dynasty was consolidated.

However, there are some irreparable flaws in this system:

One. The government must have a considerable amount of land in its hands in order to implement the equalization system. The land used for granting land can only be ownerless land and wasteland, and the amount is limited. In times of relative peace. There is a lack of ownerless land, so there are very few farmers who actually grant land.

Second. The number of fields to be received under the Uniform Land Ordinance refers to the amount of land to be received, that is, the maximum amount of land to be received in theory according to the policy. However, with the stabilization of society, the increasing population, and the fact that the "Yongye Field" is not returned to the government, sooner or later there will be no land to grant. As a result, the uniform field system generally did not meet the quota from the very beginning. Although it is stipulated that the old age and death will be returned to the government, in fact, very few people can return the land.

Third, it stands to reason that these state-owned lands cannot be annexed. However, the peasants' economic strength was fragile and their burden of servitude was heavy, and they were forced to sell their land, go bankrupt and flee at the slightest natural and man-made disaster. There are also some lawless landlords and old wealth, who have vast powers and embezzle the land of Juntian through various means. Gradually, the land was concentrated in the hands of a few large landowners, most of whom were wealthy or in collusion with the government. As a result, the government has less and less land to control, and the system of equalizing land cannot be implemented.

Because of this, the Juntian system was destroyed after a period of implementation in the Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, and Sui dynasties. For the same reason, the Tang Dynasty finally abolished the two taxation laws in the first year of Tang Dezong Li Shijianzhong (780) after insisting on implementing it for more than 160 years.

The government is harmonious and the administrative efficiency is improved; The people are abundant, and the people's lives are stable. In this way, with the joint efforts of Li Shimin and his leading group, after bit by bit accumulation and diligent and solid work, a prosperous era that attracts much attention is finally about to unfold in front of our eyes.

There is absolutely no direct relationship between the emperor's political performance and the legality of his way to power. Li Shimin won great honor for himself with his great construction achievements, and also won the respect and worship of all the people at that time and in later generations. Few people are held accountable for his "minor mistakes" in the "Xuanwumen Change", because he is indeed a great monarch of a lifetime. Mencius said: "The king regards his ministers as his siblings, and the ministers regard the king as his heart; The monarch regards the minister as a dog and a horse, and the minister regards the monarch as a countryman; The king regards his ministers as mustard, and the ministers regard him as an enemy. This is how Li Shimin regarded his courtiers as his siblings and arms, and regarded the people as the foundation of power. He was an outstanding military strategist, political strategist, and calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, and could be called an all-round talent and leader among the ancient emperors. The famous "rule of Zhenguan" in history, which was pioneered by him, is a model in the prosperous era. He has been the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty for more than 130 years. It laid an incomparably solid foundation and gradually pushed China's feudal society to its peak of prosperity.

"Prosperous times". Of course, it is an era that everyone yearns for, but not everyone is fortunate enough to encounter it. The word "prosperous". It is the highest affirmation of the all-round prosperity of a period in ancient China, but no one can call it that! So, what is the prosperity of the times?

The "prosperous era" must meet the following criteria: On the whole, it is an era of stability and prosperity, which refers to a social phenomenon in which the country is prosperous and the ruling group has reached a certain level of cultural and martial arts. Specifically:

Interior aspects

Politics and Qingming, national unity, economic prosperity, people's livelihood stability, developed science and technology, active thinking, prosperous culture, strong national cohesion, etc.

Second, diplomacy

Strong military, prosperous trade, active foreign exchanges, great influence, foreign submission, etc.

the prosperous era of Yao Shun in ancient times;

Shaokangzhong of the Xia Dynasty;

Wuding Zhongxing of the Shang Dynasty;

the rule of Chengkang in the Western Zhou Dynasty;

the rule of Wenjing in the Western Han Dynasty, the prosperity of Emperor Wu, Zhaoxuan Zhongxing;

the Eastern Han Dynasty's Guangwu Zhongxing and the rule of the Ming Dynasty;

Taikang prosperity in the Western Jin Dynasty;

the rule of the Southern Song Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty;

the rule of Qi Yongming in the Southern Dynasties;

the rule of Liang Tianjian in the Southern Dynasty;

the filial piety of the Northern Wei Dynasty;

the reign of the emperor of the Sui Dynasty;

the rule of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, the rule of Yonghui, the rule of Wu Zhou (Empress Wu Zetian, also known as "Zhenguan Legacy"), Kaiyuan Shengshi (Tang Xuanzong Li Longji) Tang Xuanzong Li Chen);

the rule of Xianping (Zhao Heng of Song Zhenzong) and the rule of Renzong (Zhao Zhen of Song Renzong) of the Northern Song Dynasty;

the rule of Qianchun in the Southern Song Dynasty (Song Xiaozong Zhao Yan (shèn);

Jingsheng Zhongxing of the Liao Dynasty (Liao Jingzong Yelu Xian, Liao Shengzong Yelu Longxu);

The rule of Dading of the Jin Dynasty (Jin Shizong Wan Yan Yong) and the rule of Ming Chang (Jin Zhangzong Wan Yan Jing);

The rule of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty), Yongle Shengshi (Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty), the rule of Renxuan (Zhu Gaochi of Ming Renzong, Zhu Zhanji of Ming Xuanzong), Hongzhi Zhongxing (Zhu Youzhu of Ming Xiaozong), Wanli Zhongxing (Zhu Yijun of Mingshenzong);

The Kangqian Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty (Kangxi Emperor Aixin Jueluo?) Xuan Ye and Emperor Yongzheng love Xinjueluo? Yinzhen and Emperor Qianlong love Xinjueluo? Hongli) and so on. That's already 33! However, there is a lot of moisture here, and there is not even half of the real thing. At the very least, the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Liao, Jin, and Song dynasties were only partially unified. How can it be considered a prosperous age? Some materials even include more periods to fill in the numbers, as if the face is swollen and you really become fat. For example, the so-called "Tongguang Zhongxing" in the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods, even the national sovereignty was destroyed, and those who cut land and paid compensation, how dare they call themselves "Zhongxing"? I'm ashamed of some vain people!

Therefore, it is recognized that the famous prosperous era is: the rule of Wenjing, the prosperity of Guangwu, the rule of Kaihuang, the rule of Zhenguan, the prosperity of Kaiyuan, the prosperity of Kangqian and so on. Today, there is public opinion that China's prosperity since the reform and opening up is entering the "fourth prosperous era" after the "rule of Wenjing" in the Western Han Dynasty, the "rule of Zhenguan" in the Tang Dynasty, and the "prosperous era of Kang Yongqian" in the Qing Dynasty. By the standards we're talking about. Today's China is undoubtedly in a prosperous era. But not the fourth? It's hard to say. This can only be regarded as a family statement, we don't need to go into details.

The reign of Sadakan was indeed a great era. This was the first prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty and created the foundation for the later reign of Kaiyuan. So, how did it come about?

At the time of the Sui and Tang dynasties, wars were frequent. On the one hand, the small number of people and the large number of land have objectively laid a good foundation for the implementation of the uniform land system; On the other hand, it has also created a good situation in which people's minds are determined. Li Shimin, the British lord of the dynasty, seized the opportunity to adjust his ruling policy in a timely manner and corrected the tyranny of the Sui Dynasty that caused public anger.

27-year-old Li Shimin. High-spirited, hard-working, good at employing people, and having the courage to admonish. He also demanded that ministers be honest and honest, and that the government should be light on their duties. With the joint efforts of the Tang Dynasty monarchs and ministers and the military and civilians of the whole country. This great era, named after Li Shimin's year, has finally arrived as promised under people's expectations.

In the past 23 years, under the leadership of Li Shimin, the Tang Dynasty has developed both cultural and martial arts, creating a famous prosperous era in Chinese history. He rectified the national system internally, respected the people of Lebanon, and stabilized the people's livelihood; Externally, the Tang Empire's political and cultural influence on neighboring countries was expanded, and a prosperous situation of political and clean government, economic development, social stability, and military prosperity emerged. Specifically:

Li Shimin knows people well and employs people only by talent. After he ascended the throne, he opened up his voice and continued to expand the power of the counselors. Kuang corrected his words and deeds.

He attaches great importance to the clarity of the rule of officials, and once ordered Fang Xuanling to preside over the streamlining of institutions and the elimination of surplus officials; He sent Li Jing and 13 other cronies to inspect the whole country as ambassadors. Examine the style of officials. He also personally appointed magistrates such as the governor and the assassin history, and wrote their merits and mistakes on the screen of his dormitory. as the basis for their promotion and punishment of rewards and punishments.

In the sixth year of Zhenguan (623), there were only 642 civil and military officials in the Tang Dynasty government. It is difficult for us to imagine how the Tang government at that time operated efficiently. Officials must be conscientious, because their emperor is diligent and loves the people, and because there are few officials and too many things to do, they really can't be idle. Therefore, all officials are self-motivated, and the efficiency of the government has been greatly improved.

Li Shimin's era is also known as "the only dynasty in Chinese history without corruption", which should be his most commendable political achievement.

Of course, by "no corruption" we mean that corruption is extremely rare. Moreover, the amount of embezzlement is not large, and it is difficult to completely eradicate corruption. Later generations' exaggeration of the political atmosphere and the effect of clean government construction in this period precisely reflects people's expectations for the Ming Dynasty and the prosperous era! Even so, this is already very valuable.

Under Li Shimin's example, the phenomenon of abuse of power and corruption and dereliction of duty by officials has dropped to a record low. The more than 20 prime ministers he appointed before and after are all upright men and gentlemen and examples of honesty and integrity.

What is particularly noteworthy is that he did not punish corruption with cruel punishments, but mainly set an example and formulated a scientific political system to prevent corruption. In the face of a shrewd and self-disciplined ruler, officials have little incentive to embezzle, and it is not easy for corrupt officials to find a place to hide.

Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty imposed the harshest punishment for corruption. Corrupt officials were all punished by skinning and torture, but the number of corrupt officials in the Ming Dynasty was rare in history.

Mr. Bai Yang, a contemporary Taiwanese scholar, called the reign of Li Shimin "the era of no unjust imprisonment" in his book "Bai Yang Said". And proposed that "to understand a country, look at its prisons." To understand the politics of a country. Look at his justice. Li Shimin stressed that the original intention of the legal system was not to prevent and suppress the people, but to eliminate violence and peace and crack down on officials who engage in irregularities for personal gain. He appointed Dai Guan, the most fair and honest minister, as the vice president of the Supreme Court (Dali Shaoqing). Dai Zhou repeatedly offended Li Shimin's majesty. Correcting his emotional handling of judicial cases was finally accepted by Li Shimin. So at the time. There are no unjust prisons in the world, or there are very few unjust prisons. Dai Xuan is as fair as Bao Zheng. However, he was more powerful than Bao Zheng, so he played an important role in the Zhenguan period and even the entire ancient Chinese judicial construction.

The government is open-minded, social injustice is very rare, and there is not much resentment in the hearts of the people. People who have enough food and clothing do not take risks to survive; People with a peaceful heart are not easy to go to extremes. As a result, the crime rate dropped dramatically during this period, and the social order was unbelievably good.

Li Shimin implemented the system of equalizing land and regulating the rent, paid attention to the light taxation, and even when he had to levy and pay conscription, he would try to avoid the busy agricultural season. He also advocated frugality, and once ordered that the obligation to pay tribute to rare treasures should be exempted from all localities. This not only lightens the burden on the people, but also prevents local officials from taking the opportunity to extort money, so that agriculture and people's livelihood can continue to develop, so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment without worry.

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, there were many years of famine in Guanzhong, and Li Shimin opened warehouses many times to help the victims, and also allowed the common people to go to other prefectures and counties to beg for food. In the era of small-scale peasant economy, the government generally did not allow farmers to move freely. Otherwise, if you run away, who will the government look for to collect taxes and conscription? As soon as Li Shimin changed the method of Yang Guang's father and son, there were remnants of the Sui Dynasty in the grain used. He also took out the gold, silver and cloth in his treasury to help the victims redeem their children, so that the victims could survive the famine year safely without "vicious mass incidents". Finally, the Tang Dynasty appeared a situation of national peace and security, and gradually pushed China's traditional agricultural society to its heyday.

Li Shimin's personal literacy is very high, and he is also soberly aware of the importance of culture and education to the development of the country and the nation. Therefore, he vigorously rewarded academics and organized literati and doctors Kong Yingda and others to revise the "Five Classics of Justice". In Chang'an, he set up a Guozijian and hired well-known Confucian scholars as scholars to manage and teach. They also encouraged the leaders of the surrounding ethnic groups and countries (Silla, Japan, etc.) to send their children to study abroad and learn the advanced Han culture. The number of students in Guozijian reached tens of thousands, which was extremely spectacular. He set up the Hongwen Museum and collected more than 20,000 volumes. At the same time, local state and county schools were rebuilt. Fruitful. Li Shimin is a typical representative of the ancient emperors who attached importance to education. "Wufu Minfeng. The Tang Dynasty, which is prosperous in Sven, is not a simple pile of simple material, national wealth and strong soldiers. What is more important is the prosperity and accumulation of culture.

Fourth, ethnic relations:

During the Li Shimin era, he used troops to foreign countries many times, and successively pacified the Turks, Xuyantuo, Huifu, Gaochang, Yanqi, Qiuzi, Tuyuhun, etc., and married Tubo. In addition, he was able to maintain foreign customs and establish the system of protecting the capital, and Li Shimin, the "Heavenly Khan", had become the highest symbol of ethnic equality, national unity, and common prosperity of all ethnic groups at that time.

Fifth, foreign relations:

During the Li Shimin era, foreign transportation and trade were strengthened. It has won successive victories in foreign wars and maintained a continuous offensive posture for more than 100 consecutive years. The prestige of the Tang Dynasty spread far and wide. When all nations came to the dynasty, Li Shimin had actually become the international alliance leader of the Eastern world at that time, and the international prestige of the Tang Dynasty had also reached its peak.

History tells us: the stronger we are, the more we dare to open up; The more open you are, the stronger you are. It's a virtuous circle. During the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties, it was with such policies and magnanimity that hundreds of years of glory were achieved.

Later, the Ming and Qing dynasties imposed self-restraint on the sea and closed the country, and gradually declined. The Tang Dynasty was an unprecedentedly open dynasty, and the Tang Empire was the most civilized and powerful country in the world at that time. Chang'an, the capital, is a cosmopolitan city. Its status is higher than that of today's New York.

Li Shimin does not have too strict restrictions on the entry of foreigners, but the management of Chinese leaving the country is stricter, because there is really no need to go abroad. He is not worried that the Chinese will forget their ancestors after they go out, and he is not worried about the noise of foreigners when they come in. The national su zhì of the Tang Dynasty is so high. It does not discriminate against or flatter foreign nationals, neither blindly excludes foreigners nor "takes it", and is a picture of a great national bearing and a kingly demeanor that is neither humble nor arrogant.

Foreigners can enjoy "national treatment" in China. Not only can you get rich, but you can also intermarry and settle down, and become an official. Many expatriates from the Arab Empire and Japan held official positions in China. Some have even become high-ranking ministerial-level officials.

So, the Tang Dynasty at that time. It is the "sunshine zone" in the minds of envoys, businessmen and students from all over the world. Talented people from all over the world risk their lives to go to Datang to come here to give full play to their expertise and realize their life value. Diplomatic envoys from all over the world, after seeing the high prosperity and civilization of the Tang Empire, their own country was similar to the uncivilized "primeval forest" in their hearts, so many people were reluctant to return to China and did everything possible to stay. According to records, there were envoys from more than 70 countries who lived in China for a long time.

It's a pride to be born as a Tang person! You don't see: In "Journey to the West", Tang Seng only needs to say, "The poor monk came from the Tang Dynasty in the east and went to the west to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures." "Everybody else will immediately look at each other, be in awe, and treat them like guests? Therefore, this sentence is extremely rich in connotation and often receives miraculous effects. A kind face, a pious heart to worship the Buddha, and the strong national strength and cultural heritage of the upper kingdom under the "rule of Zhenguan" have all become his support. Tang Seng said everywhere he went, and it was almost his mantra and a pass!

The following is a historical material with the highest citation rate about "Zhenguan's Rule":

Tang Dynasty historian Wu Jing's "Zhenguan Political Dignitaries" recorded: (during the Zhenguan period) "Most of the officials were honest and prudent. The princes, nobles, and powerful landlords were afraid of the majesty of the law and restrained, and did not dare to bully the common people. The merchants camped in the wilderness, and were not harassed by thieves. The prison is often empty, full of cattle and sheep, and there is no need to close the door when you go out.

Harvests year after year, a bucket of rice (40 catties) is only three or four copper coins. People who travel from Chang'an to Lingnan and from Shangdong to the sea do not need to bring food, they can buy it on the roadside. …… This has not been the case since ancient times. ”

In short, Li Shimin spent 23 years almost establishing an "open society," "harmonious society," and "ideal society" that everyone has dreamed of for thousands of years: no road is left behind, no door is closed at night, internal and external tranquility is maintained, order is in order, ethnic harmony is attached, and all nations are coming to the court, and all undertakings are prosperous. How did Li Shimin manage this vast empire so well and thriving? Let's hear what he himself had to say.

In a discussion of the monarchs and ministers of Cuiwei Palace (one of the four famous imperial palaces of the Tang Dynasty, in the Chang'an District of Xi'an), Li Shimin summarized the secret of his success to everyone, and said that there are five main reasons why he has done many things that ancient emperors could not do:

Many emperors in ancient times were jealous of other people's talents, and he was more happy to discover the strengths of others than to discover them.

Everyone's behavior and abilities cannot be perfect, and he always pays attention to appreciating the strengths of others.

Leaders often regard the so-called "good talents" as treasures and discard the so-called "bad talents" as if they were nothing. And he will respect the "virtuous" and pity the "inferior", so that the good and the bad can get a suitable position for themselves. In order to check and balance the overly upright "Qingliu" officials, Li Shimin will also appoint some officials who are capable but not very good in character. To put it bluntly, the emperor needs "bad guys" to balance the situation.

Many emperors were disgusted with outspoken people, and even used murderous opportunities. And during his tenure, none of the officials were fired or killed.

The ancient emperor was Han nationalism and despised ethnic minorities, and only he treated all ethnic groups equally.

These words are not modest, and if it were anyone other than Li Shimin, we would sound like he was arrogant. But from Li Shimin's mouth, it is so reasonable and reasonable, and it is all heartfelt words. After the later emperors heard it, they would only feel that it made sense, but they couldn't learn it.

Li Shimin knows himself and his career very well, and this is the way to know people, the way to employ people, and the way to govern the country. In his hands, all kinds of complicated state affairs and interpersonal relations were handled very properly, and he truly made the best use of people's talents, materials, and interests.

The rule of Zhenguan is the rich ink painted by Li Shimin for the Tang Dynasty, and it is the essence and golden age of China's feudal society for 2,315 years. And the most important stage that carries it is Chang'an. (To be continued......)